People were drinking tea in 2700 BC, that is 2700 years before the birth of Christ.

People in Central America were making drinks from the cocoa nut for many centuries before Europeans went there.

People in Europe started drinking coffee around 1600 AD.

People in North America started eating chocolate bars in 1876.

For about 300 years doctors and scientists have been studying the health effects of caffeine in our diet. They have found that caffeine does not cause damage to the body and does not cause cancer. But drinking too much does cause problems such difficulty getting to sleep and irritability.

Many young people drink cola and energy drinks - but be aware that these drinks contain lots of sugar too and often too much caffeine.

Caffeine is found in the leaves, seeds or fruit of more that 60 plants. Some people still chew the leaves of plants that have caffeine in them just as people did thousands of years ago.

We've provided this information to help you to understand important things about staying healthy and happy. However, if you feel sick or unhappy, it is important to tell your mum or dad, a teacher or another grown-up.